Prime Minister Mark Carney has revealed that the federal government is injecting $11.3 billion into Quebec’s shipbuilding sector to construct six new icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard. This has been described as the most significant shipbuilding agreement in the province’s history. The upcoming vessels will replace the aging heavy and medium icebreakers currently in use by the coast guard, fulfilling a commitment made in 2019.
Carney has emphasized the swift pace at which the project will progress, with plans to commence steel cutting next fall, deliver the first ship five years later, and have the full fleet operational five years after that. These icebreakers will be deployed in Atlantic Canada, the St. Lawrence River during winter, and the Arctic during summer.
The announcement was made by Carney and Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette at the Chantier Davie shipyard in Lévis, Quebec, where all six icebreakers will be manufactured. Fréchette, who is embarking on a provincial election campaign, hailed the agreement as a significant day for Lévis, emphasizing that it will safeguard the province’s economic independence and generate employment opportunities for welders and technicians.
Carney stated that the project will create 5,000 jobs during the construction phase. The vessels will be constructed in line with the federal government’s “Buy Canadian” procurement policy, utilizing Canadian steel.
This development follows the breakdown of trade negotiations with the United States and fresh tariff threats from President Donald Trump against Canadian industries. In 2024, Ottawa awarded an initial $19.6 million contract to Davie under the national shipbuilding strategy to design the new Polar Class 3 icebreakers. The Canadian Coast Guard is in the midst of a substantial fleet modernization, with the national shipbuilding strategy aiming to deliver a total of 88 new vessels by 2045.